Broompark Quoiting Club

Quoiting at Broompark, Photo by D Ritchie

Broompark Quoiting Green was initially a small field located near Causeystanes on the eastern side of Broompark Road not far from the junction of Main Street.

Historical photos show that casual Quoiting matches had taken place for some time at the spare field at Broompark, perhaps as early as the first decade of the 1900’s. However, in 1929, a group of men got together, including Geordie Brown, Bobby Borland, Jimmy Gillespie, and Jimmy Nimmo and formed a new club at this location in High Blantyre. Some of these players were from Auchentibber and the formation of Broompark Quoiting Club may have been as a result of the closure of the Auchentibber venue and club itself.

The Broompark Club entered the Lanarkshire Central League in 1929 and commenced playing professionally. Individual players of Broompark Quoiting Club were scheduled to play on 5^th July 1929 at semi final ties.

On Saturday 3^rd May 1930, Broompark Quoiting Club were left with no game on the league fixtures, but incredibly won their other fixtures that year, which must have made them feel they were a force to be reckoned with.

1930 Broompark Quoiting Club

The players set about building their pitch at Broompark Road, just in front of Smith’s garage. (The ground could be seen from the window of Smiths.) The new ground was opened officially opened on Saturday 13th August 1932, when the first professional visitors were eight players from the Johnstone team. It was expected that one of these champion players would throw the first pair of quoits, after which an exhibition match would be played. It was also well known that some large bets were laid off at some of these matches. Of that very match, the president was William Shaw, and the guest who threw the first pair was a man from Paisley. He was then retired but must have been a champion, a Mr A. D. Shennan. The friendly match with Johnstone was won by Blantyre. They went to Blackley’s for tea and then this was followed by “a cheery two hours’ dancing on the grass surrounding the quoiting pitch.” The Auchinraith Silver Band was in attendance all day.

So it was, that Broompark Quoiting Club had their own grounds and of course by that time had been playing professionally for a few years. It is possible that High Blantyre Quoiting Team may have played there too, as well as Broompark. Mr. J Henderson of Broompark’s team played nationally for Scotland in 1933 in a game against England.

Broompark Quoiting Ground at HIgh Blantyre on 1935 map

The new ground is shown on the 1935 map and over the wall were allotment gardens. It was still in use in 1938 when Jimmy Nimmo refereed one of the Scottish single’s championship semi-finals there.

And finally, in 1939 two players from Birkenshaw played each other at High Blantyre in front of a big crowd and the reporter gives us this good piece of information: the game lasted 90 minutes.

It is thought interest in the sport dimished by the start of the Second World War, favouring other sports then in Blantyre like greyhound racing and the growing popularity of many local football teams.

Today the old ground is the site of a small modern bungalow and adjoining garage known for Tyre and Exhaust replacement.

From “Blantyre Explained” by Paul Veverka (c)2016